Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 229 Half Point Breeder

After leaving the rest area, head straight to the handover area for the horses.

During the journey, Kitano briefly explained the subsequent auction strategy to the trainer and the original rider.

Compared to the average price of 15 million to 25 million yen in previous years, the transaction price of the Hokkaido Selected Fair this year has seen an astonishing increase.

For Kitano Kazuyoshi's goal of sifting through the sands to find the best value yearlings, this year's Hokkaido Selection event seems rather unsuitable.

"Next, the auction will likely focus on mares."

The main event is next month's summer auction.

Compared to the Hokkaido Selection, the summer auction features a larger number of horses, and the pedigrees are far more diverse than those of other yearling auctions in the country.

That being said, finding suitable breeding mares from among them is by no means an easy task.

After all, the horses featured in the summer auctions were only of quality that met expectations for their price range.

"I thought President Kitano would take the opportunity to buy a few more stallions; the first Lotto foal looks pretty good."

Majima muttered to himself as he took a bite of the yakisoba bread in his hand.

"That child does look quite good."

Wada nodded in agreement, then said, "However, it seems a bit flimsy."

"That's exactly what happened."

As the two began discussing topics related to horses, Kitano, whose face had been tense, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Even the worst chess player can occasionally make a correct opening move.

"For foals born to lottery enthusiasts, health is a major concern."

"The blood from my father's side is a bit too heavy."

"How about trying to combine it with the bloodline of a strong horse?"

"That's a good idea, although it might end up being a lose-lose situation."

As we chatted along the way, we unknowingly arrived at the handover site, where many horse owners and trainers were on the phone.

Despite the occasional curious glances, almost everyone obediently moved around and completed the formalities.

Kitano was no exception.

When the handover took place at the production ranch, Sugiyama, who was using crutches, looked quite surprised.

"That anonymous buyer turned out to be President Kitano—"

The conversation suddenly paused here.

"Excuse me, thank you very much for your support of my ranch."

With the help of two club members, Sugiyama bowed solemnly to Kitano.

"Not at all, you're too kind."

Kitano was also slightly surprised by Sugiyama's appearance.

As far as he knew, Sugiyama's legs had been troubled for a long time after the accident a few years ago.

Today, this "Gifu celebrity," better known as an industrialist rather than a horse owner, still went to great lengths to attend the auction.

When the staff from Meiji Ranch went to fetch the Witch Queen 2026, the two, who were nominally neighbors, exchanged pleasantries.

"I was thinking that if no one wanted the kid today, I would secretly buy him myself, just like in previous years. I almost made you laugh at me."

“He looks very promising. Even if I don’t make a move, there will be plenty of buyers interested.”

"In any case, I am truly grateful for President Kitano's support."

With some effort, he bowed again, and after finally straightening his back, Sugiyama looked proudly at the approaching deer-haired pony.

"Considering that the mother's hooves are relatively strong but lack explosive power, we chose a foal with relatively soft limbs and a promising chance of winning to match it. As a result, we were quite fortunate to have a foal that has the advantages of both parents."

Seeing that their boss was about to launch into a long-winded speech, the stable workers at Meiji Ranch all wore somewhat helpless, wry smiles.

Kitano, however, continued to listen with great interest.

"This child, like his mother, is a high-achieving student who doesn't need much care." Generally speaking, the pre-weaning mare has a significant influence on the foal's personality, and what is displayed at that time is often not the foal's true nature.

Only after the mother and child are separated and the foal begins to be trained and nurtured will the foal's true personality gradually be revealed.

Therefore, the impressions of the same horse can sometimes differ subtly between the production ranch and the stable.

But this does not mean that information about ranches is worthless.

Understanding the traits passed down through bloodlines is undoubtedly a good starting point.

In addition, Kitano also wanted to know the production ranch's impression of Magic Queen 2026 as a racehorse.

Sugiyama readily provided an answer to this.

As a "part-time breeder" with many other businesses, his knowledge of the foals produced on his own ranch was so profound that it even surprised Kitano.

"He quickly became strong while herding, and would often suddenly dart out like a rabbit to startle everyone."

The stable boy, who was holding the reins, chuckled and added some interesting tidbits about the Witch Queen 2026.

"Yes, none of the other ponies on the ranch can beat him."

Sugiyama nodded in agreement, his eyes filled with certainty, and said, "This kid will definitely achieve great things in short-distance races!"

Kitano nodded.

After a while, he let out a sigh, as if expressing emotion or resignation.

the other side--

Although he has not yet obtained a trainer's license, Wada, who has been unauthorizedly appointed as a trainer, has begun his first contact with the deer-haired pony in front of him.

"It's just like Kusatsu's wagashi (Japanese sweets)."

For racehorses, such a physique can only be described as "incongruous".

Although it is difficult to prove scientifically, the old saying that "horses that look good are often not bad" is surprisingly accurate.

certainly--

For a foal of this age, a few minor physical imperfections are nothing to worry about.

Compared to a mediocre horse that has no flaws and leaves no impression, this at least shows that the foal still has room for growth.

This was knowledge he had just learned from Majima and was now applying it to his studies.

"Hello, kid, victory is in sight."

He Tian bowed slightly and greeted the deer-haired pony.

A short English athlete who leans towards a power-based style.

That was the impression I got the first time I saw the silhouette of the deer-mane pony.

but--

One should not have preconceived notions.

After all, many years before he planned to become a horse trainer, he realized that he did not have the talent to judge horses.

"I see, thank you very much for your explanation."

Kitano let out a soft breath.

We obtained a lot of information about the Witch Queen 2026 from the production ranch.

Of course, there's no need to repeat things like "he should be able to run well in short distances".

The handover of the witch queen 2026 was thus completed as she took the leash from the stableman at Meiji Ranch.

The deer-haired pony raised its head as if it had sensed something.

He ruffled the pony's hair, and the next moment Kitano said something that seemed rather strange to onlookers—

"Thank you for your hard work."

(End of this chapter)